Screening for periodontal diseases has heretofore required regular visits to the dentist in order for a regular examination to be carried out. Periodontal diseases are inflammatory conditions that result in loss of the bone, gingiva and ligament that support the teeth. The destruction of the tooth supporting tissues (periodontium) occurs as a result of collateral damage caused by enzymes released by specialized white blood cells called neutrophils as they attempt to contain the bacterial infection. Periodontal diseases are one of the most prevalent diseases occurring in man, with between 70 and 90% of the population experiencing this disease during their lifetime.
Typically, diagnosis of the severity of periodontal diseases are determined by periodic professional dental examination of the amount of lost bone, ligament and gingival tissues. This examination requires the insertion of a thin metal probe under the gum tissues surrounding the teeth. The depth to which to probe extends is noted indicating the degree of “detachment” and loss of the supporting tissues around the teeth. A key measure is the degree of bleeding that occurs following probe insertion which indicates the degree of inflammation and ongoing disease. This bleeding provides a crude quantitative measure of disease level. Many studies have shown that the degree of bleeding is the most accurate predictor of future periodontal tissue loss around a given tooth.
There are also biochemical tests that have been developed to identify enzymes that are released by cells of the periodontium and the immune system into the oral cavity. However these tests require specialized equipment and training to carry out.
Since periodontal diseases usually do not cause pain, patients will often not be aware that there is any active disease occurring in their mouths. Some may notice occasional bleeding when they brush their teeth but most choose to ignore this as the bleeding is often transient in nature. Earlier studies have correlated the presence of neutrophils entering into the mouth through the gingival crevice surrounding the teeth in the crevicular fluid as a possible measure of oral inflammation. Currently, microscopes are sold to dentists to enable them to visually count or quantify neutrophils taken from samples around teeth.